


Stay with me

by oubastet



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fluff, M/M, au where prompto never talked to noctis, he lives by the chocobo post and has his own chocobo, noctis probably fell in love at first sight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 03:36:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9366308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oubastet/pseuds/oubastet
Summary: Prompto had moved away from the crown city before he could muster the courage to talk to prince Noctis.Living out in the countryside, going back and forth to Insomnia, he hadn't spoken to Noctis ever.After Insomnia falls, he accepts the worst, but finds the prince practically on his doorstep.





	

**Author's Note:**

> me @ me: stop always putting chocobos in ur fic  
> me: NO !!!!!
> 
> anyway this felt a little quick but i love Prompto pining after Noctis for all those years and then having his gay dreams coming tru after all !!!!! ;_;

Moving away from Insomnia at a young age was supposed to be “beneficial” and a “good idea” for him, but all it had done for Prompto was make him desperate to move back. Life outside the walls was so much more boring, and the cameras back in the city had been so much nicer. His only consolation was living near chocobos and selling his countryside pictures at good prices online. He realized city people were suckers for pretty sunsets, chocobos sleeping in the grass, the reflection of the moon on a pond. So when Prompto was 18, he moved back to the city, landing himself a small job taking photos for a magazine. It took him a few weeks to adjust, seeing as life outside Insomnia was a few years late on a lot of things. The first thing he did was buy the nicest camera he could afford. It was beautiful.

Most of the jobs he had were small, but if he was able to be a photographer then he could care less. He had a pass to leave the city and come back thanks to his job, and sometimes he would even be able to see the prince of Lucis.

Half the reason he had been so devastated about moving away was not being able to spend his school days mustering up the courage to be friends with the prince. That dream was faded now, seeing as he had no way of even getting near Noctis. All Prompto could do was look through his camera and take half blurry pictures of his head.

It happened while he was out of the city. News of Insomnia being claimed by the empire, of both the oracle and prince being reported dead, along with the king. Prompto was home in his house by the ranch, unable to stop himself from falling to his knees upon seeing the news. His home, where he always felt he belonged, gone, and the boy he was so desperate for, dead. He ran out towards the chocobo pens, flinging his arms around the neck of his favorite and sobbing. The bird gave a simple chirp, resting its head on his back.

The next few days were a blur, with Prompto practically sulking. He barely took pictures, but he did his best to anyway. It seemed like his world had gone almost completely dark. It got worse when the behemoth everyone called Deadeye started getting too close to the ranch, and they had to put the birds safely away. Riding and renting was prohibited for the time being, and hunters dropped like flies. Coming to the ranch one afternoon, though, Prompto heard from Wiz that a small group of hunters had taken the job. Nervous for the hunters, Prompto stood by the chocobo pens, just to make sure they were safely secured.

It was evening by the time Prompto had another rest from cleaning and manning the shop. He had been in the kitchen today, frying gysahl chips and making sandwiches. Poking his head out a window upon hearing a clamour outside, Prompto looked to see Wiz clapping in front of a group of men dressed all in black. He seemed overjoyed, and the larger of the black clothed men was holding part of a behemoth horn. It was Deadeye’s.

Looking over the other two, Prompto could feel himself begin to faint, seeing the shortest of the three. The dark blue almost black hair, pale blue eyes, a smirk befitting a prince. Noctis.

Prompto scrambled out of the kitchen, tripping over his own feet as he made his way towards the outside tables. He didn’t care if Noctis wouldn’t remember him, he needed to know the prince was real and not dead. He dashed past a startled Wiz, almost ran into the larger man who practically grabbed at him, and embraced Noctis. Almost instantly as the shock washed off the group, the larger man pulled Prompto off the prince, tossing him away. Noctis told him to chill out, and then turned towards Prompto.

“P-Prince Noctis… You’re alive! You’re really alive!” Stammered Prompto, looking at Noctis with tear filled eyes. He wobbled to his feet, hands shaking as he fiddled with his fingers as he resisted to hug Noctis again. The larger man gave Prompto a look, growling, “Who are you?”

“Gladio, I said to chill.” Noctis snapped, his gaze not leaving Prompto’s.

“You… were that kid. At school, who never had the courage to talk to me.”

“Oh… oh gosh, you actually… remember me? From way back then? I’m so different now I never figured you’d…” Prompto panicked, thinking back to his younger, chubby self. He had needed to exercise for years to be more comfortable with how he looked, and working on the ranch occasionally had benefitted to that as well.

“What happened to you? How are you all the way out here?” Asked Noctis, reaching out to put a hand on Prompto’s shoulder, who flinched at the touch.

“I uh… My parents moved for my health… I worked in the Crown City for a while, though… Still couldn't talk to you…” Prompto could feel the sweat collecting on his face. Talking to the prince was extremely nerve wracking as it turned out. He had such a royal yet relaxed demeanor, but Prompto couldn’t calm down his shaking hands.

“Noct, were you friends?” Asked the man in glasses, looking Prompto up and down. The nickname, Noct, was so casual and friendly, showing how close this other man was. They were definitely his bodyguards. “Mmm, I wouldn’t say friends. He could barely talk to me.” Noctis mused, hand still on Prompto.

“Wh… what are you doing here, your… highness?” Prompto spoke up suddenly, shifting on his feet. He wouldn’t dare to be so casual; this was his first official conversation with the prince.

“Please, just call me Noctis. None of that highness crap, like I tell these two constantly.” Laughed Noctis, and Prompto remarked to himself how beautiful that laugh was.

“Your highness, you are the prince and we are merely your advisor and bodyguard. It would be unacceptable to call you anything else in public.” Sighed the glasses man, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, yeah.” Mumbled the prince.

He turned back to Prompto, grabbing his hand now and tugging him forwards. “We were going to set up camp, you should join us. Oh yeah, big guy over there is Gladio, and specs is Ignis.” The prince pointed to his two companions, who gave Prompto polite nods. Prompto recognized them, since both of them, or at least one of them, was always by the prince’s side.

“Wait, did you just invite this kid to camp?” Growled Gladio, his expression stern.

“Yeah, so what?” Replied Noctis nonchalantly, his eyes sparking irritably despite his cool tone. Ignis simply shook his head. “We barely know nothing about him, and you have invited him to dine with us? Do you not remember the Imperial army is after us? That any person could be just trying to-” The man went on until Noctis snapped at him.

“Ignis! You honestly think this guy would be some kind of spy? I know who he is.”

“You don’t   
know him, Noct.”

“And you’ve gotta trust me.”

They stopped arguing, the energy crackling between them until Ignis sighed in defeat. He waved a hand, saying reluctantly, “So be it. Though he will be watched. Come, Gladio, we’ll go set up camp. Noct, it’s the campsite down the hill.” The two bodyguards left, knowing they were in public and it would be difficult to cause a scene. Gladio gave an intimidating glare in Prompto’s direction, jostled his shoulders, and followed Ignis away.

As soon as they left, Prompto let out all of the nervous air he’d been holding in during that whole exchange. “Oh my gosh! I thought I was going to be dead!” He whimpered, almost forgetting he was in the presence of Noctis, who laughed.

“They’re actually really nice underneath their protective demeanor. I’m sure you’ll warm up to each other in no time.” He pointed out, slapping Prompto on the back.

“Oh, uh… I guess I have no choice, I guess?” Asked Prompto, resigning himself to possibly being killed over whatever camp dinner they managed to cook up. He didn’t know how well royalty ate while on the run, but it couldn’t be all that bad.

“Nope. Also Ignis is a pretty okay cook.”

“I can cook a little bit, too. You probably ate one of my sandwiches today.”

“The chocobo club sandwich or whatever? That was really good!”

Prompto flushed at the compliment, looking away in embarrassment. After that, Noctis stuck around him until his work shift ended. More like badgered him with questions and demanding to know how Prompto had been the past many years. He seemed curious about the life of a commoner, even if he had tried to mingle into it back in Insomnia. The prince laughed at Prompto’s more amusing misfortunes, and he seemed to favor stories of Prompto’s city life. Upon hearing that Prompto still took pictures, Noctis’s eyes were sparkling as he asked to see his camera. Promising to show him over dinner, Prompto was finally free to join the prince for the rest of the evening. Noctis followed Prompto to his house a ways off, surprised how modern it looked despite living all the way out in the middle of nowhere. Prompto shrugged, explained that his parents hadn’t been able to lose the crown city’s charm, so they had the house built.

Too embarrassed to let the prince in his room, Prompto scuttled upstairs, changing as fast as possible. He leapt back down the stairs, absentmindedly putting his pistol in its holster on his hip. Noctis immediately noticed, and seemed to tense. After a moment, Prompto panicked.

“Oh! Oh man, no it’s not what you think! I usually carry it around here cause daemons, y’know? If you want me to leave it here I-”

“No, no it’s fine. I would only assume people around here have weapons. But you’re not a hunter or anything, are you?” Inquired Noctis, tilting his head.

“N-no… but when I watch out for the chocobos, I always have it on me. Y’know how a pack of voretooth will show up outta nowhere right?” Prompto motioned for Noctis to step out of the house first, following close behind him. Noctis simply agreed with a chuckle, leading Prompto towards their current campsite.

Prompto could immediately smell something amazing cooking, and resisted the urge to go dashing over to the cookware Ignis stood by. Gladio was sitting his a chair, playing with something on his phone. He looked up as Noctis and Prompto approached, relaxing.

“There you are, thought blondie got off work a half hour ago.”

“B-blondie?” Prompto mumbled, amazed by the sudden nickname.

“He wanted to change, everything was fine.” Explained Noctis, suddenly noticing the lack of one more chair. “We don’t have anything for him to sit on?”

“Well, we have a camping stool, but that’s in the tent since Iggy likes to use it as a nightstand for some reason.”

“If I left my glasses on the floor, they would be crushed by your incessant moving.” Ignis called over, not even giving Gladio a glance. Noctis went over to the tent, grabbed the stool, placing it by the fireplace for Prompto, who took it gratefully.

“So, kid, what’s your name again?” Asked Gladio, leaning forwards to get a better look.

“Oh, uh I’m Prompto. Prompto Argentum.” Giving him a little head bow, Prompto fidgeted in his seat. He relaxed when Noctis shuffled his own chair much closer.

“Gladiolus Amicitia. Gladio for short it your tongue gets twisted.” Gladio gave him a friendly grin, rolling his shoulders again as if to intimidate Prompto into behaving. It was working, and Prompto returned the smile with his own hesitant expression. A plate of food was suddenly offered to him, and Prompto looked up to see who was giving it.

“Ignis Stupeo Scientia. Please, just Ignis. I hope you are not averse to spicy food.”

“Oh I actually love it!”

“Lovely, seeing as Noctis doesn’t have a taste for it.” A groan followed Ignis’s pleased words, and Prompto laughed. He looked at the food, marveling at how delicate it looked even if it was a bowl of stew. It smelled so amazing, and seeing as he was unused to different kinds of food, he hesitantly spooned some into his mouth. The balance of spicy and sweet was surprising, and he could barely taste the vegetables, but knew that their flavor was just mingled in with everything else, blanding into something delicious. Resisting the urge to shovel it all into his mouth, Prompto ate silently. He could feel his eyes water, but not from the food’s heat.

“Oh, might it be too spicy? I could have sworn I didn’t add too much.” Asked Ignis, staring at his own bowl hesitantly. Shaking his head, Prompto managed to stammer between bites, “No, no…! It’s… it’s just really good. Thank you.”

Wiping at his eyes with a sleeve he added, “It’s been a really… long time since I’ve eaten something like this. It’s delicious, really!”

The prince and his guardians all exchanged a shocked glance until Ignis spoke.

“You are welcome to as many helpings as you want.” He said softly, seeming as if the heartfelt reaction to the food made him warm up to Prompto instantly.

“N-Noctis, you said his cooking was okay? It’s amazing! I can’t believe you eat like this all the time!” Gasped Prompto, getting off his stool to grab more, spooning a generous amount into his bowl. Shrugging his shoulders, Noctis smiled. “Yeah it’s better than most stuff I eat, I guess I’m just used to it. His baking is amazing, though.”

“You bake, too?” Practically dropping everything as he spun around, Prompto’s eyes sparkled.

“On occasion.” Nodded Ignis, the smile from before still on his face.

“You bake when we have an oven. The orange cake you did the other day was tasty, I’d recommend that again, specs.” Gladio mused, also helping himself to more of the stew.

“That sounds… sooo good…” Prompto whined, wishing he could have tasted it. He glanced over at Noctis who was taking a sip of water as he slowly ate. Guess spicy food was not a favorite of his. As they finished the meal, Ignis took their plates, picking up a kettle and asking if anyone wanted coffee. Three hands raised instantly, and soon steam drifted up from camping mugs. Unsurprised when Prompto saw Noctis dump in about ten sugar cubes to his coffee, Prompto himself dropped in only a few. He recognized the smell of ebony coffee, complementing Ignis’s good taste. The advisor beamed, giving a Noctis an I-told-you-so look.

As the night went on, Prompto felt no desire to leave, but the time displayed on his phone said a different story. He reluctantly stood up from the stool, putting his hands in his pockets and kicking at the ground.

“I uh… I should really get goin’. Don’t wanna leave my house unattended for too much longer, y’know?” He couldn’t meet Noctis’s gaze, but he wanted to keep looking, in case he never saw him again. The prince seemed disappointed, but stood up as well.

“Yeah… Maybe we’ll stop by again.” He said quietly, pale blue eyes desperate.

Nodding, Prompto returned the smile. He looked at Ignis and Gladio, giving a bow. “It was nice to meet you! I really appreciate you letting me join in, the food was awesome!”

“It was a pleasure. You were an unexpected but welcome guest. May you dine with us again.” Ignis said in that oh so formal tone, even to a commoner. Gladio waved his hand, taking on a more rough but kind tone. “Don’t get into too much trouble, okay? Keep the chocobos well for us, since we’ll probably be needin’ ‘em.”

“You got it!” Giving him a thumbs up, Prompto forced himself away, turned after a bit to give them a long wave. As he walked further and further away, his heart clenched. It had felt… good being around them, being around Noctis. He hadn’t interacted with anyone close to his age since being in the crown city, and even then he always tip toed around getting too close to anyone. And seeing Noctis had been the most surprising, and spending time with him had been like a dream. He was going to think about the prince every time he had spare thoughts.

Prompto opened the door to his empty house, closed it and leaned against the dark wood. He slid to the floor, curling up in a ball. Relief suddenly washed over him, and he could feel tears form in his eyes. He wiped them away quickly. The prince was alive and safe and he was here. It was more than Prompto could fathom. The past few days had been a blur, what with his depressed mood at the news of Noctis’s supposed death.

A sudden knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, and his heart surged as he expected his parents to finally, miraculously decided to be home. Instead, he opened the door to see the prince yet again. Face blanching, Prompto went silent.

“Hi, it started raining and our tent is leaking. Do you have a spare couch?” Inquired the prince with a hesitant smile. Behind him stood Ignis cleaning his wet looking glasses, and Gladio trying to wrestle a tent into its bag. Prompto blinked stupidly, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

“Uh… there’s… a futon and my parent’s room…” He ushered them inside hesitantly, and immediately Ignis gave a curt bow. “My apologies at this late hour. We couldn’t possibly sleep in a puddle of rain, and seeing as we don’t have much to our reserves in gil, we had nowhere else to turn.”

“Dude, it’s okay! You fed me and let me hang out with you! It’s the least I could do!” Prompto consoled, snapping his mouth shut and apologizing for the informal language. Ignis shook his head, telling him to think nothing of it. He asked to borrow the kitchen for a few minutes as Prompto got them all a place to sleep.

Gladio offered to take the futon, seeing as he was going to try and do some tent repairs before he slept, and the main room had the needed floor space. Ignis would take Prompto’s parent’s bed, and then he scrambled to think of a suitable place for Noctis.

“You can sleep in my bed, if you’re not too grossed out? I can sleep on the floor, don’t worry about it.” He finally decided, motioning to the stairs. Ignis returned from the kitchen with what looked like hot cocoa, much to Prompto’s surprise, but he didn’t object.

“If you yourself are comfortable having us here, we will stay anyplace you suggest.” Ignis pointed out. Gladio was already on the floor with the tent, making sure he didn’t get water anywhere important. “I’ll get this thing fixed tonight, so we don’t have to deal with it later. This region is wetter than others, who knows if it’ll rain a whole week straight.”

“It’s not too bad… better than Liede, personally.” Prompto shrugged, sipping at his mug. It tasted good, and made a warm feeling spread through his body. It relaxed him, letting the anxiety he had been feeling slip away. Noctis stood close by him, their shoulders almost touching. FInishing their drinks, they said goodnight to Gladio and headed upstairs. Prompto told Ignis to do whatever with the room, seeing as his parents were rarely if ever in there. It was a sparsely decorated room, but Ignis said it was perfect, leaving the door open slightly as Prompto led Noctis to his own room.

A wave of embarrassment washed over Prompto, and he stalled as he grabbed the doorknob. He turned to the prince, saying in a hushed tone, “Okay, uh… it’s a little messy, but hopefully it’s fine.”

“I’m sure it is, Ignis always complained about my apartment and how much of a slob I was. Can’t be worse.” Shrugged Noctis with a chuckle, seeming eager to get a look. Bracing himself, Prompto led Noctis through the door, covering his face bashfully.

It was simple, but one entire wall was covered in pictures, and he had a few chocobo plushies in the corner surrounding one very large one. His desk was stacked with more pictures, and another corner had all of his camera equipment. Noctis looked around curiously, smiling at the plushies and finally going over to the picture wall. Prompto panicked, seeing as a huge chunk of the wall were pictures of Noctis himself. Obviously taking note of that, Noctis glance over each picture, seeming unperturbed.

“You got my good side.”

“Wh-what?”

“All these pictures. I can’t believe I never saw you in the crowd.”

Surprised, Prompto went over to stand beside the prince. “Well, I did a lot of odd jobs, but none that ever let me get too close to you. Some candid shots were fine for my editor usually.”

“Hmm. Well now you can get not-candid shots.” Posing in front of the picture wall, Noctis gave Prompto a winning smile. Surprised by the sudden eagerness, Prompto scrambled for his camera, turning on the largest overhead light to get a better shot. He hesitated for a moment, but then a click sounded with a small flash, and he looked at his work. The prince was smiling a somewhat shy smile, but he seemed relaxed as he gave a peace sign. Prompto ingrained the image into his brain, wanting to remember it the rest of his life.

“Let me see.” Noctis came up close next to him, and Prompto flushed at the sudden contact. Whistling, Noctis gave a nod. “This is nice. You’re almost like a professional.”

“Well, it’s kind of my dream.” Prompto shrugged, elated by the compliment. He felt Noctis’s hair brush his cheek as the prince leaned closer to the camera, and he shivered.

“So you help out with the chocobos, too?” Noctis suddenly asked, looking back to the picture wall. He pointed to a large picture of Prompto hugging a chocobo, the bird nuzzling the boy’s hair affectionately. Pleased with the change of subject, Prompto sighed.

“Yeah, mostly just brushing and feeding! I take them for a ride sometimes, too. I’ve actually been raising one from a chick, thanks to Wiz. She’s not full grown yet, but…” He trailed off, looking for a particular picture. He tugged it off the wall, handing it to Noctis. “Her name is Tater Tot…”

“Baby chocobos are so cute. I’m a little jealous.”

“There are always problems, y’know, but seeing her cute little face… Ah, it’s so worth it.”

A knock sounded at the door, and Ignis opened it to peer into the room. He blinked almost sleepily at them, held up his phone, pointed at the time, and left. After exchanging a glance, Noctis and Prompto laughed quietly to themselves, figuring they might as well go to sleep. Prompto changed his bedsheets quickly, and started piling pillows to sleep on the floor with. Noctis seemed pleased at the thought of sleeping in a not cramped bed or tent, relaxing into the blankets with a thank you. Prompto then went silent, staring at Noctis’s back. He felt a tear fall down his cheek, and he sniffled. Sensing the change in mood, Noctis sat up and turned around.

“Are you… crying?” He asked softly, face taking on a worried expression. Wiping at his eyes, Prompto didn’t feel like he should be crying, but the tears continued to fall.

“I-I don’t know why, they just… keep coming? I’m… really happy I got to see you. This all feels way to unreal.” Stammered Prompto, feeling his lip quiver. He stared up at the prince, into those pale blue eyes that were so beautiful. Noctis reached down, grasping one of Prompto’s hands in his own. Startled, Prompto flinched.

“I wish we had been friends sooner.” The words were sincere, and the prince squeezed the hand he was holding. Squeezing back, Prompto smiled weakly.

“Same here.”

====

It had been around almost a week since Prompto had last seen Noctis, and while he worked diligently around the ranch and his own photography website, he waited eagerly for the time he would see the prince again. It was only at the end of the first week that the rumbling started. The ground shook unnaturally, until finally, in the distance where the meteor sat, was Titan raised. Looking out over Duscae to the disc, Prompto snapped picture after picture, wondering if Noctis and his group had disturbed the archeon. Nif ships flew overhead, making their way over to the commotion, and Prompto could see the explosions in the distance. He worried for Noctis, and sent him a few texts that day, with no reply.

Evening of the same day, Prompto was packing up the store, grabbing a handful of greens for Tater Tot. He went behind the building, searching for his familiar mid-sized chocobo. The bird scurried over, nipping at Prompto’s knees for the food, which Prompto readily offered her. He leaned down, stroking her head and sighing.

“I hope they’re okay. All that archeon stuff looked terrifying…” The bird gave a simple chirp in response, tugging on Prompto’s bandana as if there were more treats underneath. Movement in the trees nearby startled Tater Tot, and she hopped into Prompto’s lap with a kweh. Prompto held her in his arms, standing up and spinning around, pistol drawn. Shocked as Ignis approached, he lowered his gun.

“I-Ignis? What are you doing here? And… where’s your car?” He continued to hold tater Tot, running over to the prince’s advisor. Ignis gave a small cough, looking more the worse for wear, his shirt covered in ash as if he had been by a volcano.

“We’ve run into a slight detour, and our vehicle is… unaccounted for at the moment. We were dropped off nearby and needed somewhere to regroup. This was the safest and closest place we could think of.” He explained, Gladio suddenly appearing next to him.

“Hey, kid, how’ve ya been?” Asked the larger man, seeming tired. Prompto searched for Noctis, fearing the worst, until the prince came over, brushing dirt off his clothes. Relieved, Prompto ran up to him. “You’re okay! What happened, you all look like hell!”

“Nothing we couldn’t handle. Titan wasn’t too happy about waking up, though.” Noctis explained with a shrug, wiping soot off his face. Raising an eyebrow, Prompto gasped. “Titan? Like,   
Titan? The archeon? What were you doing over there?”

“Hero stuff.” Grinned Noctis, almost sadly. He seemed somewhat tense, and Prompto was desperate to cheer him up somehow. Realizing Tater Tot was still settled in his arms, he shoved her towards Noctis. “Here. Therapy bird.”

“Wh-whoa, hey!” Protested Noctis, but managed to hold the baby chocobo steadily. She starting chirping happily, curious about the new person, and reached up to nibble at Noctis’s ear. The prince couldn’t help but laugh, his shoulders relaxing almost instantly. Gladio reached over, hesitantly scratching the small bird on the top of her head.

“Noct, told us you had one. It’s amazing how small they start.” He mused, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Her name is Tater Tot ‘cause she was a really big chick. Wiz had never seen one that weighed as much as her.” Pointed out Prompto proudly, puffing out his chest a bit.

“She’s… soft.” Noctis said in admiration, putting a cheek to Tater Tot’s back.

“Are you hungry? My shift just ended, you can use my kitchen if you want?” Prompto offered, pointing behind him to his house in the distance. Noctis nodded quickly, and Gladio sighed.

“That would be most generous of you. Is your family home?” Ignis asked as they made their way, taking his coat off and stretching his arms. Mood darkening, Prompto mumbled a no, but instantly replaced his frown with a forced smile. “Just as well ‘cause if I brought you three home again they’d be so shocked!”

Gladio made a humming sound, seeming unconvinced. Noctis, walking next to Prompto and continuing to hold the chocobo, pointed out, “You could call them? If you want to ask them if it’s okay?”

“N-no, it’s fine, they’re probably busy anyway.” Dismissing it with a shake of a hand, Prompto then reached into his pocket for his keys. You could barely tell they were keys, as the keyring was covered in every kind of chocobo feather sold at the chocobo post. Noctis chuckled at the sight of it.

“Oh, do we need to leave her out here?” The prince bounced Tater Tot slightly, not stepping into the house after Ignis and Gladio. “Oh, no you can bring her in. She’s a tidy bird.” Laughed Prompto softly, noticing Noctis’s pause before he entered the house.

Ignis set to making dinner, surprised at how well-stocked the kitchen was. He was making a rice bowl, much to Noctis’s pleasure. Prompto insisted on helping, but Ignis told him to go get comfortable, reminding him they were unexpected guests.

Already almost asleep on the couch, Noctis gave Tater Tot a languid stroke, noticing the bird already giving out little bird snores. Prompto couldn’t help himself, snapping a picture of the scene. Gladio beckoned him to show the picture, laughing at the image of the prince of Lucos with a baby chocobo asleep on his lap. Prompto thought it was the most adorable thing he had ever seen, and his heart ached.

It was getting harder and harder to hide the fact he was helplessly infatuated with the prince, since their many years apart had only increased his pining.

Waking up the prince once food was ready, they all ate on the couch and floor, ignoring the kitchen for more comfortable seating. Tater Tot was let back outside, since she had almost attacked Gladio in demand of his food. Prompto apologized, even if Gladio and Noctis thought it the most amusing thing they had experienced as of late.

Later, Ignis asked Prompto if they could be alone to discuss more private matters, and Prompto politely agreed, retreating upstairs. He immediately set to printing the photo from earlier, making it nice and big. He put it in the center of his wall, staring at it for a few minutes affectionately. The prince incredibly handsome, and Prompto wondered what he would look like in a suit. Probably quite dapper.

That reminded him of the fact Noctis was journeying to Altissia to get married, and his mood dropped once again. Prompto had no hope for anything akin to romance, and he had practically only been talking to Noctis for a week. They had exchanged cell numbers, and had been texting each other a disgusting amount that previous week. Next to Noctis’s name in his contact list was a crown and heart emoji. Cursing his sappy nature, Prompto had made sure never to entice the prince into seeing his phone.

Footsteps sounded, and Noctis was suddenly in the doorway.

“Can I come in?”

“Oh, sure, man. I guess you’ll be sleeping here again, huh?”

Noctis settled on top of Prompto’s bed immediately, burying himself in the fluffiest blanket he could find. He stuffed his face into it, and Prompto could hear him give a long breath.

“Smells like… grass. And lemons.”

“E-excuse me?” Prompto practically spit out the water he had been taking a sip of, but still coughed awkwardly. “Wait, does that smell bad? Oh god, it definitely smells like chocobos. Tater Tot slept on that a few days ago.”

“No, it’s more of a…   
smell.” Noctis mused, closing his eyes. Face flushing, Prompto looked away. His heart was beating out of his chest and he could barely control the urge to just lay in bed and hug the prince until they fell asleep. Astrals, he was sappy!

“N-Noctis…” He began, but the prince interrupted him. “You can call me Noct, it’s okay.”

Hesitating, Prompto gulped. “Noct… I’m… I’ve wanted to see you again for a really long time.”

“I know. You’ve told me.”

“But… there’s two sides to it…”

“Okay?”

The prince leaned on an elbow, gazing at Prompto with eyes that seemed to understand where he was going. Which just made Prompto a thousand times more nervous.

“I really… like you.”

“In what way?”

The question made Prompto turn and blush, seeing Noctis’s expression. The prince was making a shy smile, mixed with a coyly raised eyebrow. He was biting his lip, almost ready to hide his face in the blanket he was still curled around. Prompto’s fingers trembled, and he stared unblinking at him. Gathering the last of his remaining courage, which wasn’t much, Prompto shuffled closer to the bed, and put his lips to Noctis’s.

He heard the prince gasp softly, but then reach out his hands to hold Prompto’s cheeks. As his eyes were closed, Prompto couldn’t tell what kind of expressions he was making, but he suddenly heard Noctis laugh.

“You’re face… is all squished.”

Staring at him, Prompto’s face got hot again. The prince’s smile was so perfect. No picture could do it justice. He wanted to look at it every day, forever.

“Prompto.”

“Hmm? Wh-what? What is it?”

“You should come with us.”

The invitation was sweetly offered, and Prompto could feel the agreement wash up through his body. He wanted to travel with Noctis, he wanted to share everything with the prince, he had always wanted to be with him. Averting his eyes, Prompto looked at his room; the pictures all over the wall, the moonlight peeking through the trees and illuminating the floor. Leaving home behind would be difficult.

“B-but I’m not… good at fighting, or cooking, I don’t know if I can help you.”

“I like this. It feels good. Being with you, I mean.”

“I can’t protect you like Ignis and Gladio can!”

“You don’t have to. Though, the thought is important. You’d do whatever you could.”

The prince held Prompto’s hand again, and Prompto felt the smoothness of his palms on the back of his hands. Despite that smoothness, being royal hands, they had a toughness from brandishing a weapon and training for hours at a time. Thinking of his own calloused fingers and messy nails, Prompto could tell how different they were. And Noctis didn’t seem to care. That was the prince’s charm, he didn’t care care you were born or who you were usually, he just always seemed to care even when he tried not to show it.

“I want to kiss you again, for now.”

“Do you think you’re dreaming?”

“I probably am and I honestly don’t want to wake up.”

Prompto stood up, going to sit next to Noctis, who made room on the bed for him. Hesitantly cupping the side of Noctis;s face, Prompto shakily gave those lips a soft kiss. The prince wrapped his arms around Prompto’s neck, holding him closer. It couldn’t be real, there was honestly no way he could fathom being given this chance. But the hot breath Noctis left on his cheek was very obviously real.

“We should sleep… I’m sure you’re tired, Noct.” Prompto whispered, staring at the prince’s face and noticing the bags under his eyes. Nodding if somewhat a little hesitantly, Noctis grumbled something inaudible. Prompto pressed him for the words, and Noctis looked away, repeating himself bashfully.

“You can sleep… here, too.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, yes! Now get under here before Ignis comes in and tells us to shut up.”

Seeming impatient, Noctis shuffled over to let Prompto sleep next to him. Elated, the other man curled up next to the prince, unable to hide the genuine smile on his face. Noctis stared back at him, pursing his lips. He snuggled closer suddenly, wrapping his arms around Prompto and stuffing his face into the other’s chest with closed eyes. Startled if only a moment, Prompto put an arm around Noctis’s shoulder, rubbing his back in a soothing gesture. Falling asleep quickly, Noctis murmured before he drifted off;

“I haven’t slept this comfortably… in a long time.”

“I’m sure you’ve been having a rough time. Though that’s probably an understatement.” Prompto mused, burying his nose in Noctis’s raven colored hair. It smelled like lemon shampoo and slightly burned earth.

“You really helped us out…”

“Only a little.”

They went quiet, and Prompto watched Noctis’s chest rise and fall in a relaxed way, feeling his hands hold onto the back of Prompto’s shirt like his life depended on it.

“Noct?”

“Mmm.” Came the muffled reply, laden with sleep.

“I think I’ll go with you. I want… to help you.”

He felt Noctis smile against his collarbone, and a sigh escape the prince’s lips. “Good.” Was all he said, before moving closer and letting out a content breath. Prompto stared out the window, seeing the chocobo post building lights a ways off. He’d be leaving behind something important, but for Noctis it was worth it. He didn’t know how Gladio and Ignis would take it, but he wanted to go with them no matter what, even if he had to follow secretly behind. He closed his eyes, preparing himself for the rough morning.

====

“So Prompto is coming with us starting today.” Noctis said immediately during breakfast, ignoring the way Gladio’s fork clattered to the plate noisily. Ignis blinked stupidly at the prince, his hand in mid-shake with the pepper grinder. Prompto blanched in the seat next to Noctis, all his bravery vanishing before the eyes of the two crownsguard.

“Excuse me?” Gladio grumbled, leaning an elbow on the table and narrowing his eyes.

“I decided he’s coming with us. He can use a pistol pretty well, and he;s good with a camera.” Noctis pointed out, holding Prompto’s hand under the tabletop out of sight.

“And this is beneficial to us how?” Ignis pried, seeming curious about the whole idea. He didn’t seem opposed to it, but could tell there was some other motive the two weren’t mentioning.

“I want to bring him. He wants to stay with us.”

Breaking out into a sweat, Prompto abruptly stood up, slamming his hands on the table as he started to speak loudly. “I want to go with Noctis! I’ll protect him with everything I have, I just want to be with him!” He could feel his eyes get hot, and his voice softened as he sat back down.

“Being with you guys… feels different. I have fun, and you don’t think I’m some waste of space. I may not be good at much, but I can guarantee I’ll be there for Noct…” He sniffled, stuffing a piece of sausage into his mouth and chewing slowly. He glanced at Noctis, who had flushed a light shade of pink. Noting how nice he looked, Prompto took a mental picture.

Glancing at each other, Ignis and Gladio let out the biggest sighs Prompto had heard in his entire life. They didn’t seem too taken with this idea, but there had been no immediate objection.

“Prompto, we have a very, very dangerous road ahead of us.” Ignis pointed out.

“I live out here in the middle of nowhere, I can handle myself around daemons.”

“We have Imperials on our tail at every turn, kid.” Gladio held out his fork, directing it at the younger man. His expression was nevertheless interested.

“I can handle ‘em!” Clenching his hands into fists, Prompto felt a fire light inside his heart. His new friends, his new companions, he wanted to share these memories with them no matter what. Danger would come second, he just wanted to continue to spend as much time with them, with Noctis, as he possibly could.

“I’m down.” Gladio finally decided, giving Prompto a broad smile. Ignis nodded in agreement. “He doesn’t seem helpless, and we can add training regularly into our regular regime. We could all use a fresh sparring partner.”

Wilting at the thought of fighting someone like Gladio, Prompto’s shoulders drooped. “Oh man, I’ll be flat as a pancake after your done with me.” He whimpered, receiving three chuckles.

Noctis turned to him, his face practically sparkling. Prompto returned the look with an equally as happy one, stomach fluttering. He would give his life to protect that smile, but he would try his best to no matter what continue to see that smile. New companions, expanding world.


End file.
